A court in Amsterdam has ruled that the American rapper Kanye West, now known as Ye, may proceed with two scheduled concerts in the eastern Dutch city of Arnhem, rejecting an emergency bid by the Netherlands' Central Jewish Council to block the events. The performances are set for 6 and 8 June at the Gelredome stadium.
The Amsterdam District Court stated that there were no indications that West's presence would create concrete dangers to public order, a key legal threshold under Dutch law. The ruling came despite West's well-documented history of antisemitic statements, which have led to widespread condemnation and the cancellation of several other European tour dates.
Jewish Council Condemns Ruling
Chanan Hertzberger, chair of the Central Jewish Council, expressed dismay at the decision. “The feeling we are getting is that it is okay if you are antisemitic,” he told the Associated Press. The organization had argued that allowing West to perform would normalize hate speech and endanger Jewish communities.
Dutch Deputy Prime Minister Bart van den Brink had previously indicated that barring West from entering the country would require “solid grounds,” and that past statements alone were not sufficient to deny entry. Concert organizers report that 70,000 tickets have been sold for the two shows.
This ruling stands in contrast to decisions in other European countries. West's concerts in France, the United Kingdom, Poland, and Switzerland were all cancelled. Most recently, Italian authorities blocked two shows scheduled for next month in Reggio Emilia, citing public order and security concerns. Those cancellations also affected fellow rapper Travis Scott, who was set to perform alongside West.
West's Controversial History
West's antisemitic remarks began in 2022, when he posted a series of offensive comments on social media, leading to suspensions from X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram. He was subsequently dropped by his talent agency and fashion brands including Adidas and Balenciaga. Since then, he has posted an image of Ku Klux Klan robes, retracted an earlier apology to the Jewish community, declared himself “a Nazi,” and claimed to have “dominion over his wife.”
In February 2025, West began selling swastika-emblazoned t-shirts, and in May he released a song titled “Heil Hitler,” which praised the Nazi leader. These actions led to the revocation of his visa to enter Australia and an arrest warrant in Brazil.
Earlier this year, West took out a full-page advertisement in the Wall Street Journal apologizing for his behaviour, describing it as part of a “four-month-long manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behaviour” during which he “lost touch with reality.” Many observers, however, questioned the timing of the apology, which came ahead of the 2026 release of his new album Bully.
European Tour Continues Despite Setbacks
West's first European performance in over a decade took place last weekend in Istanbul, at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium, where he drew a crowd of more than 100,000 fans. According to state-run Anadolu Agency, the attendance was 118,000, which West claimed was the largest stadium performance in history. That story is covered in more detail in our earlier report.
Following the Dutch shows, West's remaining European dates include stops in Georgia (12 June), Albania (11 July), Spain (30 July), and Portugal (7 August). The tour continues to generate debate across the continent about the balance between free expression and the prevention of hate speech, a tension that varies significantly among EU member states.
The Netherlands, like many European countries, has strict laws against incitement to hatred, but courts have often required a direct link to public disorder before restricting events. This case highlights the challenges authorities face when dealing with controversial public figures whose statements cross legal and ethical lines.
